Digital display of color and appearance and the use thereof

1. A method for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of an article, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from a database, said database comprising interrelated repair formulas, color characteristics, and optionally appearance characteristics;

(b) generating individual matching images having R,G,B values based on the color characteristics, and optionally the appearance characteristics, interrelated to each of the preliminary matching formulas; and

(c) displaying the individual matching images having said R,G,B values on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(d) selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching images displayed on said display device with the color and appearance of the article.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: obtaining color data, and optionally, appearance data of the article; generating a target image of the article having R,G,B values based on the color data, and optionally the appearance data; displaying the target image on the display device; and selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching images displayed on said display device with the target image displayed on said display device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said color data are obtained by measuring the target coating with a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or a goniospectrophotometer.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the color data comprises L*,a*,b* or L,C,h values.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the appearance data are obtained by a process comprising the steps of:

i) obtaining one or more appearance images of the article; and

ii) generating said appearance data from the appearance images.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image and the target image is displayed as a realistic target image.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the individual matching images and the target image are displayed as a simulated blending image.

10. A method for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of an article, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining identification information of the article;

(b) retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from a database that match the identification information, said database comprising interrelated repair formulas, identification information of articles, color characteristics, and optionally appearance characteristics;

(c) generating individual matching images having R,G,B values based on the color characteristics, and optionally the appearance characteristics, interrelated to each of the preliminary matching formulas; and

(d) displaying the individual matching images having said R,G,B values on a display device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

(e) selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching images displayed on said display device with the color and appearance of the article.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of: obtaining color data, and optionally, appearance data of the article; generating a target image of the article having R,G,B values based on the color data, the appearance characteristics stored in the database that interrelate to the identification information, and optionally the appearance data; displaying the target image on the display device; and selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching images displayed on said display device with the target image displayed on said display device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said color data are obtained by measuring the target coating with a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or a goniospectrophotometer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the color data comprises L*,a*,b* or L,C,h values.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the appearance data are obtained by a process comprising the steps of:

i) obtaining one or more appearance images of the article; and

ii) generating said appearance data from the appearance images.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image and the target image is displayed as a realistic target image.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the individual matching images and the target image are displayed as a simulated blending image.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identification information comprises model year, manufacturing site information, manufacturer's paint code, and optionally manufacturing date, of a vehicle.

20. A repaired article repaired with a repair composition prepared according to the matching formula selected by the method of the claim 1 or 10 .

21. A method for displaying one or more coating images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from a database, said database comprising interrelated repair formulas, color characteristics, and optionally appearance characteristics;

(b) generating individual matching images having R,G,B values based on the color characteristics, and optionally the appearance characteristics interrelated to each of the preliminary matching formulas;

(c) displaying the individual matching images having said R,G,B values on a display device.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

(d) selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching image displayed on said display device with the target coating.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of: obtaining color data, and optionally, appearance data of the target coating; generating a target image of the article having R,G,B values based on the color data, and optionally the appearance data; displaying the target image on the display device; and selecting the one or more matching formulas from the one or more preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching image displayed on said display device with the target image displayed on said display device.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said color data are obtained by measuring the target coating with a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or a goniospectrophotometer.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the color data comprises L*,a*,b* or L,C,h values.

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the appearance data are obtained by a process comprising the steps of:

i) obtaining one or more appearance images of the target coating; and

ii) generating said appearance data from the appearance images.

28. The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image and the target image is displayed as a realistic target image.

29. The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the individual matching images and the target image are displayed as a blending image.

30. A method for displaying one or more coating images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining identification information of the article;

(b) retrieving one or more preliminary matching formulas from a database that match the identification information, said database comprising interrelated repair formulas, identification information of articles, color characteristics, and optionally appearance characteristics;

(c) generating individual matching images having R,G,B values based on the color characteristics, and optionally the appearance characteristics, interrelated to each of the preliminary matching formulas; and

(d) displaying the individual matching images having said R,G,B values on a display device.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of:

(e) selecting the matching formulas from the preliminary matching formulas by comparing the individual matching images displayed on said display device and the target coating.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising the steps of: obtaining color data, and optionally, appearance data of the target coating; generating a target image of the target coating having R,G,B values based on the color data, the appearance characteristics stored in the database that interrelate to the identification information, and optionally the appearance data; displaying the target image on the display device.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein said color data are obtained by measuring the target coating with a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or a goniospectrophotometer.

35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the color data comprises L*,a*,b* or L,C,h values.

36. The method of claim 33 , wherein the appearance data are obtained by a process comprising the steps of:

i) obtaining one or more appearance images of the target coating; and

ii) generating said appearance data from the appearance images.

37. The method of claim 33 , wherein each of the individual matching images is displayed as a realistic matching image and the target image is displayed as a realistic target image.

38. The method of claim 33 , wherein each of the individual matching images and the target image are displayed as a simulated blending image.

39. The method of claim 30 , wherein the identification information comprises model year, manufacturing site information, manufacturer's paint code, and optionally manufacturing date, of a vehicle.

40. The method of the claim 21 or 30 , wherein the article is a vehicle.

41. A coated substrate coated with a coating composition prepared according to the matching formula selected by the method of the claim 21 or 30 .